Through Space And Time, Always Another Show
by Effiekb
Summary: Set in 1879. The "New Directions" Circus joins with the aerial acts specialists "The Cheerios". Blaine Anderson doesn't expect to find anything but friends among these new faces, but maybe he's wrong.
1. Chapter 1 - Somebody, Crowd Me With Love

**A/N: Wow. I did not do this, did I. Huh, guess I did.**

**Hello world! Um, since you're reading this you're probably a Gleek, and most likely a Klainer? So should I say, hello brothers and sisters!**

**So, this story is told mainly by Blaine's POV, but with some Kurt's POV in it. Alternate universe (1879, circus etc.), but same characters. Almost every character from our loved/hated show is here, and if some aren't it's because A) they'll show up later or B) (this looks like a smiley face with sunglasses) I forgot ^^; What? I've had the same mind for 17 years now!**

**Be warned, I'm terrible at updating. I will try to update this baby every week, but...**

**Oh, important note #1: This is not a copy of Sharmain's "Cirque De Joie"; I understand the themes are almost identical, and also I want to give her the credit for inspiring me (and maaaaybe Kurt's specialization in aerial acts), but I do not wish to copy her or receive credit from her work. Also, check "Cirque De Joie" out *now*, it's amazing!**

**Important (not) note #2: There are some hidden songs in every chapter, one certainly in the title and, in some chapters, in the text itself. Cookies to everyone that finds them!**

**Important note #3: My beta, while being the BEST in the world (not because she's one of my bestest friends, of coooourse no ;)), she's not into Glee a lot. So, if you can cope with this story much enough to like it (wishful thinking), I would appreciate your betaing skills!**

**xoxo,**

**Effie**

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_**Chapter**__** One – Somebody, Crowd Me With Love; Somebody, Force Me To Care**_

_Blaine closed his eyes and started walking on the tightrope. He stretched his arms gracefully to the sides and took a deep breath. He then started twirling on the rope, carefully aligning his feet while performing dance figures that professional dancers found extremely hard._

_He reached the middle of the wire and he turned towards the crowd watching him. He cast his eyes upwards, momentarily blinded by the sheer shine of the spotlight fixed upon him. He jumped from the rope seemingly into nothingness, all the while performing a somersault, eliciting a gasp from the onlookers. He landed on the trampoline and jumped up high, really high towards the single trapeze hanging above his head. He reached his hand up, waiting for whomever was there to pick him up, but no hand met with his. He looked up, confused, and barely kept inside him a terrified scream, for all he could see was a dead body, clad in a light blue-and-green uniform, hanged from the trapeze. He started falling and he instinctively looked down, expecting to see the trampoline he jumped from, but he was instead met with the dark waters of a river, which were coming all the more closer..._

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Blaine woke up gasping, his head and palms sweating from the nightmare he just saw. He waited until his breath evened out, and then turned his gaze to the entrance of his tent. He saw no lights coming from outside, so thinking it was still night, he threw his blanket around his arms and stepped outside. True to his thoughts, the sun hadn't risen yet. He walked to the peak of the hill on which they had camped for the week, spread the blanket on the ground and sat.

He brought his knees to his chin, tilting his head to the side as he contemplated what he had just saw. The dream in itself wasn't really that weird, he often had nightmares before a show - he was a really nervous man. No, what puzzled him was the feeling of utter horror when he saw the hanged body, which was mixed with a hint of gut-wrenching heartache, as if he saw the rope around his own mother's neck.

He shook his head, deciding that he wouldn't be troubled any longer by that dream. He instead fixed his eyes on the rising sun, a small smile tugging on his lips. He loved that time of the day, when no one but him was awake, and everything was quiet and peaceful. He caught a soft chirping from behind him, and turned to look at the bird. His face split into a huge smile when he saw a little canary singing happily, jumping from a place to another. "Hey, little one" he whispered, not wanting to frighten the bird. He reached his hand cautiously, waiting for the warbler to take flight. Instead, the little thing jumped to his hand and turned its head towards him, still chirping gleefully. He laughed baffled, petting it all the while.

"You're a strange little fellow, are you not?" he commented sweetly, taking the bird into his tent. He looked around, trying to find a suitable place for the little bird. He ended up choosing his bed, where he made his blanket into a little nest and placed the canary inside. "Now, what should we call you?" he contemplated, placing his index finger on his lips. "Curse it, I'm not good at naming things" he laughed, combing his hair with his fingers and sitting down on the bed. "Oh well, I will just probably set for Canarino, eh? What do you say?" He smiled to the bird, waiting for a response. The warbler – Canarino – chirped and flapped its wings.

"Great, I guess it is settled then. I am Blaine Anderson, nice to meet you, good sir" He mocked bow. "Or are you a lady? Oh, madam, I am so very sorry!" He grasped his chest, hi face a mask of grief. "I did not want to insult you, fair lady..."

"Who in the world are you talking to, Blaine?" came a cool voice from outside his tent. Blaine sealed his lips, winking to the bird while shushing it. "Oh, no one in particular, Quinn" Blaine answered, motioning for the bird to stay there. "Whatever are you doing outside my tent?"

"I only came to tell you that breakfast is served. I would advise you to go eat something before rehearsal, unless you want the results from last week to apply to this one as well". Blaine grimaced and whispered "Stay here, alright?" to Canarino, all the while dressing up and putting his shoes on. He stepped outside to the crisp air of 1879's autumn, looking at the ethereal blonde beside him. "Quinn dear, I did say I was sorry!" he whined. "That does not erase the fact that we couldn't remove the melted caramel from the carpet in the main tent for four hours" she said coldly, her strict facade braking from the slight curve on her lips. "But you know how delicious the baked apples were last week" he pouted, opening his eyes as widely as he could. "Oh damn you, no one can stay mad at those eyes" she laughed, taking his hand and walking towards the canteen tent.

Blaine caught her concerned look from the corner of his eye. "What is it, Quinn?" "You have black bags under your eyes again. Did this Berry character wake you up with one of her ungodly ballads again?" They broke into carefree laughter. Rachel Berry was known, if not for her temperament, then at least for her songwriting skills. "Oh relax, she is not that bad. I find her lyrics very forward and modern, you know" He smiled good-heartedly. The short brunette was in view now, scrutinizing Finn Hudson for spilling his coffee. "I have to admit though, I would like her better if she was not such a queen bee".

"Oh well, enough talking about her. Let's go eat something, I'm hungry".

They sat with their apple-pies to a bench near the pond. Mike Chang and Tina Cohen-Chang, two of the dancers, waved at them from afar. Blaine waved happily back, he loved the pair dearly. They were very quiet and reserved, unlike the rest of the performers. He joined their rehearsals at times, just to spend time with them. The Puckerman brothers were playing with their torches, which were thankfully unlit. He really admired their act, and he liked them both, even though they acted really mean to anyone new. Once you

got to know them, however, you'd realise how fun they both were.

He smiled and nursed his pie. He liked the circus; it was his home, and the performers were his family. Will Schuester, the ringmaster, had taken him in when he was just a baby, when his parents abandoned him on Will's porch with nothing but a letter that read, "His name is Blaine Anderson". Throughout the years, they had tried tracking down the name Anderson in hopes of finding his real father, but Blaine had stopped hoping after a while. In any way, he felt for the Schuesters, Will and Emma, as his real parents and they loved him like their own son. Emma, although sweet and caring, could not give birth to a child of her own, so she saw Blaine as a gift from God. Will had been more of a father to Blaine than his own would ever be, and Blaine was sure of that.

A hot liquid spilled on his shoulder shook him out of his daydreaming. "Ouch, what was that?" he jumped, clutching his burned shoulder. "Oh, sorry Blaine, I was hasty to get to the tent" Finn Hudson, the stilt-walker clown said to him, a miserable look clouding his

handsome face. The tall man was really accident prone, but that was made up by his enormously big heart. Blaine smiled and waved his hand. "Oh, it's all right, if it's someone you should apologize to, then it's certainly not me, if you remember the last week's shenanigans I caused" he answered, winking. "Right! Thanks so much, Blaine" Finn smiled and ran to the tent, spilling even more coffee on his path. Blaine shook his head and made to the tent himself, only to be stopped by Will.

"Blaine, can I talk to you?" The older man asked. "Of course, what's wrong?" The boy asked. "Well, you do know we are not the only circus in the area, although we are one of the best... Right?" Will asked, raising an eyebrow in fake strictness. "Of course, Will! New Directions, the greatest show on Earth!" Blaine said in a pompous voice, mimicking their advertisement. "Exactly" Will laughed, hugging his son by one shoulder. "However, in a week we are to meet with the next greatest company, Sue Sylvester's so-called Cheerios. I would like you to attend to her performers, as they will be camping with us." "Of course, whatever you want!" Blaine answered, glad to take a break from the trampoline and the tightrope."That does not mean, however, that you will stop rehearsing on your gymnastics "Blaine had a double take. Seriously, at times he was sure Will was able to read his mind. "So, what is their expert? Are they a full, 3 ring circus like us or...?"

"No, no, they mostly perform aerial acts - you know, the usual: trapeze acts, aerial silks, corde lisse..." Will said dismissively. "I've been talking to Sue, we may reach an agreement of joining the companies, but we will have to see how well you all work with the girls, so..."

"Wait, girls? Is it an exclusively female company?" Blaine said, confusion creeping in his face. "Well, she has had boys over the years, but she mostly trains girls. At the moment, she only employed a young man just last year. I trust you will make the announcement to everyone?" Will asked him, a hopeful look in his eyes. "I have to tend to Emma". Blaine's eyes were clouded with worry now. Emma had not been so well lately, and her fragile frame could only take it so long. "How is she?" he asked, his brows furrowing. "She will be fine, I hope" Will sighed. "Anyway, on to work, young man!" he sent Blaine off, pushing his back. "Oh, and don't forget to mention that you have the week off, so you can tidy up for our guests!"

Blaine run to the tent, a smile beginning from his one ear to reach the other - a week off! Will usually wasn't so generous. He made for the center of the big tent, and screamed for everyone to stop. Noah threw his last knife, Jake gulped the fire breath he was about to blow, Finn fell from his stilts, breaking the plates he was juggling, and Tina with Mike fell rear-first to the trampolines. Rachel and Quinn were having a heated argument, while Marley was trying to stop them. Thankfully, they stopped and paid attention to Blaine. Artie gave him the speaker and wheeled his chair back to the lights deck.

"Attention, members of the New Direction circus! In a week from now, our company will have the joy of welcoming another travelling company, called 'The Cheerios'. We have the week off to get ready for our guests... Um... Yes, that is basically all" He smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. The mass erupted in cheers, excited to have the week off and to meet new people. Circus life, although exciting, could be very lonely. All the crowd that gathered to watch them wasn't making things any easier, since they were all strangers through and through. While the bonds inside the circus were tight, being with the same people for all your life was tiring.

Blaine walked towards Quinn and Rachel, looking at Marley with an understanding look in his eyes. "Why are you two fighting? Yet again?" "Fabray stubbornly insists that we cannot incorporate singing and dancing to our show, whereas I think it would be beneficial to the audience to get in touch with a new kind of music!" Rachel mumbled, her hands on her waist. When she was finished with her mini-speech, she blew her bangs from her face to glare at Quinn, who was boiling with the brunette's persistence. Blaine warned Quinn with his eyes not to say anything, for she would ignite Rachel's fury even more. "Rachel, dear, let's go for a walk so you can show me the benefits of your proposition" he smiled and offered his arm dapperly at her, which she took giggling. "If you insist, Blaine" she said sweetly. He lead her outside, walking towards the benches near the mass of trees. "Rachel, may I say something, before you begin?" he asked her, showing a bench. She sat, nodding her head. "Our audience comes to our show to get a thrill, you know that, do you not? Singing and dancing belong to the opera houses, not our big tent"."Well, isn't it about time that changed? What more do opera singers have, answer me." she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I did not expect this reaction, especially from you, Blaine".

Blaine raised his brows in confusion. Had he ever mentioned that he enjoyed singing? Had he ever sang in front of her? He was making sure no one heard him when he did, because after all he felt really shy about it.

"Oh, you great buffoon. You have a lovely voice, even when you just talk. You could have great potential, you know" she explained, smiling encouragingly. "Oh Rachel, I think we agree on disagreeing" Blaine laughed, trying to brush his blushing aside. "Anyway, if you insist, I will talk it over with Will and inform you of his decision. Are you alright with that?" He asked her, raising up from where he was sitting. "Really? Oh, thank you so much, Blaine!" she screeched, jumping to hug him.

Blaine started laughing, trying to hold the petite girl into his arms while staying on the ground. "You are so very welcome, Miss Rachel Berry" he said, putting her down. "Why, thank you, good sir" she played along, curtseying and making to leave. Suddenly, she turned back. "You know, I was thinking. What with those Cheerios coming, maybe you could find a girl you like? You've been very lonely, dearie" she said, rubbing his arms.

"I will be fine, Rachel" he smiled tenderly, trying not to show how close to home her words hit. "And maybe you're right, maybe I will find a someone to call my love" he said, walking towards his tent. "I'll see you later!" He shouted, turning his head around, his smile fading away.


	2. Chapter 2 - I've Finally Found You

_****_**A/N: Yay! Chapter two!**

**First things first: I want to thank everyone that even saw my story; seriously, guys, you don't know how much that means :')**

**Alrighty, shoutout to my lovely beta (and one of my closest and most perfect friends), evalilly (huh, you thought you'd escape? No such luck, dear birbitsoli ;))**

**On another note, as giddy as favs and follows make me (apart from giddy, they could also made me running around the house jumping like a kangaroo... Maybe...), the most amazing thing EVER is a review. Juuuuust saying ;)**

**Nothing more from my side... Only that in this chapter we're welcoming Kurt! Klainers, get ready for cheesiness and fluffiness ^^**

_**Chapter Two - I've Finally Found You, My Missing Puzzle Piece**_

His conversation with Rachel had him thinking. He felt lonely, that was true, but he didn't exactly _need_ somebody as desperately as Rachel meant. He just had to be a little more patient, or just accept the fact that he would never find someone like him. He shoved his hands in his pockets, holding his head against the wind that was blowing.

When he got into his tent, the last thing he expected was to find Canarino flying about. And yet, that was exactly what was happening. "Hi, Canarino! Not bored of my humble abode yet, are you?" Blaine asked, picking up his uniform from the chair. Forgetting about the bird momentarily, he sat on his bed, thinking about his conversation with Rachel.

He never, ever courted girls, that was for sure. Everyone thought he was just very shy, very self-conscious, but Blaine was hiding a secret. Maybe the secret was that he didn't really like girls in that way, per se. For example, he remembered a time when every boy in the company swooned over Quinn - when she had first come to the company- but instead, he felt a light-headed every time Finn was talking to him. Now that he thought about it, he just laughed. Finn was a great guy, but...

We was never much of a religious person - circus life doesn't allow you to be one, anyway. No one he knew was, except for Quinn, who was always carrying a gold cross with her. Rachel and the Puckermans, he knew they were Jewish, but not anything more. Still, he knew how society viewed homosexual people - oh, he knew that very well, alright. He remembered when he had read in the newspaper once that a man, who had publicly admitted he was homosexual had spent thirty years in prison. After that time, the jury found him "guilty" for murder as well, so he was executed and made example of. He was thirteen then. This had shook him more than anything in his life. So he never told a soul, and began to believe he never would.

In truth, Blaine was afraid. Not of justice, and certainly not of death. No, he was afraid that his loved ones would recoil from him, that his friends would think of him as a beast, that his family would shun him. He was afraid of being rejected from the people he treasured most in his life. So he shut his real self into his closet, and wore a mask every day.

Tears had started forming in his eyes. He quickly dried them, stood up and started tidying.

The week passed quickly in the excitement of the arrival of their guests. The next Monday, when Finn stepped on his stilts to have a clearer view of their surroundings and shouted, "I see three wagons coming towards the camp!" and then fell face-first onto the grass, Blaine felt his stomach tying up in a really complicated knot, not knowing why. Maybe it was because of the fact that he would, _finally_, meet new people. Maybe.

The knot tied even tighter when a tall blonde descended from one the wagons. She was dressed in pants and coat, unlike any woman he had ever seen. But that's not what put him in unease. Her face was fixed, as it seemed, in a grimace of total distaste, and he felt like a gnome when she looked down on him. "Hey, short gnome, go tell Schuester I'm here" she shouted in his face, making him jump. He run like his pants were on fire towards Will's tent, gasping for air while telling him, "A crazy woman is here, she demands to see you. She probably is Miss Sylvester." Will sighed, exasperated, and got out of the tent. "Come with me, Blaine." he said, and Blaine followed suit. When they got back to the trailers, Sue Sylvester wasn't alone any more. At least twenty girls, clad in red-and-white skin-tight short dresses, were surrounding her.

Blaine stood still, scared of the mass in front of him. Sue and Will had started talking, ignoring everyone else, so the girls' eyes were fixed on Blaine. He tried to hide his shock with a dapper-looking smile, which made the girls giggle. A beautiful Latino girl stepped front and stretched her arm towards Blaine. "I'm Santana Lopez, and you look really, really good in that suit" she commented, smirking in a way that made Blaine feel like he was a piece of meat and she was a hungry lioness."Um, thank you, and nice to meet you, Miss Lopez. My name is Blaine Anderson, and I hope you will enjoy the stay" he said, bowing down to kiss her hand. Her smirk got even bigger. "Oh, I'm sure I will, as long as my tent is close to yours" she purred, winking at him. Blaine coughed awkwardly.

"Santana, leave the poor boy alone - he's gotten even whiter than he was!" a curvy, ebony girl whispered to Santana. "I'm Mercedes Jones, Blaine, and I apologize for the lack of filter between Santana's brain and mouth." Blaine smiled thankfully at her and then turned his attention to the rest of the girls.

"Welcome, each and everyone, to the "New Directions" circus!" he shouted, comically waving his arms about. The girls giggled once more, while Santana rolled her eyes, a real smile on her lips. "I sincerely hope you will all enjoy your stay with us, and I want you to know that for anything you might need - within reason, of course" he added, winking to Santana, who raised her brows, amused, "you can call for me. I trust everyone is present, miss Jones?" he asked Mercedes.

She shook her head. "Only Kurt is missing. He's probably still fixing his hair; I swear, this boy takes his appearance way too seriously..." she commented. As if summoned by the sound of his name, a young man stepped outside the last trailer. Blaine felt his heart drop to his stomach; the boy was angelic.

His hair, in the color of caramel, were carefully styled away from his face, for which Blaine was grateful for; his face was the definition of perfection. Before he could swoon any longer, the boy was in front of him, an amused smile tugging on his soft-looking, full lips.

"Is there something wrong, sir?" he asked, his voice sweeter than all the music in the world.

"No, no, of course not," Blaine hastily answered. "I'm sorry, sir, I must have zoned out" he covered his startle with a laugh. "I'm Blaine Anderson, most delighted to meet you, mister...?"

"Kurt. Kurt Hummel" the boy answered, taking Blaine's hand and shaking it.

"Mister Hummel" Blaine repeated, shaking his hand back. Kurt's hand was fitting so well in his. Like a missing puzzle piece he'd finally found...

"Just call me Kurt", he said, his smile getting even bigger. His smile was infectious, and Blaine found himself smiling once more. He could feel something good coming. And a little voice inside his head told him that maybe the reason was the beautiful boy before him. And by maybe, it probably meant definitely.


	3. Chapter 3 - A Waltz For The Boy

**A/N: Weeee, Chapter 3! *wiggles***

**It's been a sh*tload crazy week, am I right, fellow Klainers? I don't know if I hate or love Ryan Murphy, seriously, I've come to the point where I doubt my existence.**

**I've barely escaped death, and now I'm weary of ever reading my (amazing, perfect, but mostly _hilarious_) beta's notes (see? shoutout again, dear evalilly ;))**

**So, um, here's the chapter, nothing else to say... Except, did evalilly's review scare you? Or maybe Canarino did? If no, then here's the chapter, so review, maybe? :P**

**Enjoy! (Oh, and if there are Greek Klainers out there... We need to run a DNA test. We might be siblings.)**

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_**Chapter Three – A Waltz For The Boy Out Of Reach**_

"I told you, Schuester, I need the tent today!"

"Yes, Sue, and I explained that I need it as well! You can have it tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow? Tomorrow I could die and then come back to life just to eat your brains! Would you risk that, Schuester?"

Blaine looked at Quinn meaningfully. Will and Sue were fighting non-stop ever since the Cheerios arrived – which was six hours now. Blaine expected their throats to be ripped apart until now, but he apparently didn't know them so well.

"I'm tired of that", sighed Quinn. "I'm going for rehearsal, are you coming?"

"But the Cheerios are rehearsing now; that's the whole point of the fight, Quinn!"

"Well, they are only using the upper half of the tent; they won't be a bother. Are you coming or not?" she asked once more, tapping her foot on the ground.

_Uh-oh, she's getting angry. _"Very well, I'm coming" Blaine said hastily, not wanting to be on the receiving end of the blonde's anger. He walked towards the tent, Quinn en route.

Blaine stepped in and was met with a spectacular view. The girls were now rehearsing on the silks, their figures captivating in the dimmed light. They moved with the music like dancing with their lovers.

He instinctively searched for Kurt. The young man held his mind captive in his blue-green eyes, those eyes that reminded Blaine of the troubled sea. When his efforts came to no avail, he shrugged and started stretching his limbs and warming up. He was going to rehearse his tightrope tricks today – his equilibrium was off lately, and he needed to fix that before the show. He couldn't risk throwing Rachel of the rope as well as himself.

Just as he was taking his place on the platform before the rope, all the lights shut down and only one spotlight was still on. Blaine was impressed by the Cheerios' professionalism, but his impression, along with every though he had ever had, took flight when the spotlight was focused on a single body on the ground.

_So he is the star of the show_, Blaine thought. _No surprise there_.

Kurt held his head downwards and walked towards the silks that were lowered down for him. His slender neck was pure white in the artificial light, and long, like a swan's. Then suddenly, he snapped his head upwards, towards Blaine.

Blaine gasped. His eyes, being naturally big and lovely, were now enhanced by thin lines of charcoal around his eyelashes. This made the glass of his eyes stand out even more than usual, and Blaine felt like falling under his spell. The feeling wasn't unpleasant, though, he felt like he was floating, like it was up that he fell.

Kurt grasped the silks, his eyes never leaving Blaine's. He started ascending easily, like a cat climbing a tree. When he had reached the top, he was mere feet away from Blaine. He twirled the fabric around his waist, a light smile dawning on the corners of his mouth.

And that's when he let go.

Blaine gasped in shock, running for the edge of the platform and grabbing on the metallic railway, trying not to lose Kurt's silhouette from his eyes. Kurt kept twirling until he almost touched the floor. Blaine let a quiet yelp, just the moment Kurt stopped and his nose barely even touched the carpet. Then Kurt put his ankle round the silk and used it as a brace to start performing tricks and figures, while the flicking of the spotlight made him look like something between a ghost and an angel.

The drums had started beating, and the rhythm which Kurt moved to on the silks matched the one of Blaine's heart. His breathing became shallower and shallower, until he started feeling dizzy, although he wasn't sure if that was due to his breathing or the boy dancing gracefully before him.

He knew he should start talking to him, get to know him better, but where should he start from? What if he wasn't like Blaine, what if Blaine disgusted him? So many questions, and Blaine couldn't answer all of them on his own.

In the meantime, Kurt's performance was coming to an end. His movements lost their angelic, slow pace and became more frenzy, almost if he had surrendered himself to the music. As the last note echoed in the tent, Kurt let go of the fabric he was holding onto and jumped into thin air, and that was when the light shut down.

Everyone held their breaths, for when the lights came back on, Kurt was nowhere to be found. Blaine was sure he would have a heart attack. He came down from the platform and looked all around for someone who knew what had happened. He spotted Mercedes, who was currently chatting with a sweet-looking girl, looking like she was ready to explode.

"I told you, Brit, there are no sugar-rabbits here, you don't have to worry about them anymore" Mercedes sighed, while the blonde girl looked like she was ready to cry. Not knowing why, Blaine felt a surge of protectiveness for the girl.

"But who will take care of them now I'm away? No one knew about them except for me", 'Brit' said in a low whisper.

"Hey! Can I help you with something?" Blaine asked, smiling cheerful to the two girls.

"Do you know if there is any way I could communicate with the sugar-rabbits that I left behind?" the blonde girl asked him, her eyes wide with child-like innocence.

Not catching Mercedes' warning look, he answered, "Well, sugar-rabbits are really, really smart creatures; I'm sure they will understand why you had to go. But, if you are still worried" he added sweetly, hugging her from the shoulders, "there are some honey-bunnies just a mile to the north from the tent" he finished, smiling encouragingly at her. There was indeed a nest of bunnies in that direction, although he held his doubt whether or not they were honey ones.

"Oh, really? Thank you so much, kind sir!" the girl beamed at him, and took flight to find the bunnies.

Blaine smiled at her back, and turned to Mercedes, who was looking at him agape. "Did I do something wrong?"he asked her, not recognizing the look on her face.

"No, it's just that… No one can understand a thing Brittany says, not even Santana, try as she might, so we mostly brush her comments aside. You are the first one that has talked to her as if these creatures exist", she explained, a slightly guilty look on her face, as if she regretted her actions from before.

"Well, just because she has a different perception of the world doesn't mean she's crazy, right?" he commented, trying to cheer the girl up. "I'm sure none of you mean to treat her badly, although I imagine it can get tiresome after a while" he added, smiling at her. When she smiled thankfully back, he asked her, "Do you, by any chance, know what happened to mister Hummel, miss Jones? That last trick, startling as it was, looked extremely dangerous."

"Oh, the swan dive?" Mercedes asked, chuckling. "He's alright, he has done it a million times before, I doubt anything has happened to him; but I know what you mean, it does look risky. He never told anyone how he manages to perform it, or why he is nowhere to be found afterwards, but all I know is that he is fine. You needn't worry about him" she finished, smiling. "Also, just call me Mercedes; miss Jones was my mom."

"Very well, as you wish, Mercedes" he tried, and the girl smiled encouragingly. "It's time for lunch, though, would you care for something?"

"Oh, sure, just let me know where the canteen tent is."

"It's just around the tent, to the right" he showed her, and she thanked him. Blaine stayed back, putting the props back in their places and fixing the lights.


	4. Chapter 4 - Give Me The Sweetest Goodbye

**A/N: Chapter 4 :D weeeee****!**

**Okay, if the rest of the year is as eventful as yesterday, then I don't know if I'll survive. Les Miserables, my birthday, my bday party AND my first hangover (which, for the record, was an experience I had the luck to share with my favorite person on Earth, the most amazing beta - and best friend - evalilly!)? And then we get spoilers about our boys on episode 4X15? I might be dead._  
_**

**Anyway, this chapter ends in a sort of cliffhanger...? Also, I think next chapter is sort of a filler... So... *le shrug***

**Enjoy, my lovelies! And remember, reviews are better than life!**

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_**Chapter Four – Give Me The Sweetest Goodbye**_

Just as he was tidying the silks, a smooth voice from behind startled him.

"You seemed to rather enjoy my act", the voice noted, and Blaine snapped around, surprised. He let out a breath of relief when he saw Kurt standing one foot away from him, leaning on one of the tent columns and smiling.

"I generally admire aerial acts, but I have to admit that yours was by far the greatest I've ever seen" Blaine commented, smiling back at him.

"Oh stop it, I'm going to blush" Kurt answered playfully, raising his hands to his cheeks. Blaine laughed and stepped closer. "I just wanted to say", he started shyly, Kurt raising up his eyebrow, a curious smirk playing on his lips. "That last trick was outstanding. So well-done, so dramatic, such a perfect synchronization…"

"Oh, now I'm really going to blush" Kurt stopped him, his eyes flicking downwards and then back at Blaine's, while he was stepping closer and closer. "If you actually knew the mechanisms behind it, you would not be half as impressed, trust me".

"Does that mean I am not going to find them out?" Blaine asked, his face mere inches away from Kurt's now.

"Maybe one day" Kurt whispered, walking away. "You should take your own advise and get something to eat" he added, not even turning his head back to look at Blaine.

"Would you care to join me?" Blaine shouted, not wanting to get his hopes up.

Kurt stopped mid-track, turning his face around, a real smile lightning up his face now. "I would love that", he answered, and Blaine skipped quickly to his side.

Kurt turned out to be a great companion on the short time they spent together during lunch. Albeit back in the tent he looked mysterious, unearthly even, in the light of day he was just an ordinary boy, like him; although "ordinary" seemed completely out of place when Kurt was concerned. He still maintained that glow he had when he was performing, and even without the charcoal lining, his eyes still captivated the glory of the sunlight.

Underneath that beautiful construction that his appearance was, however, lay a wonderful personality. He was witty, commenting on everything that was going on around him, but he was gentle as well, always apologizing when he thought he had crossed a line. He seemed to completely disregard anything personal and instead focused on Blaine and his life in the circus. Whilst Blaine was flattered by his actions, his curiosity about Kurt grew even stronger than before. What was he hiding?

After lunch, Blaine took Kurt to the peak of the hill he had gone earlier that day, mere hours before he met him. They just sat there in comfortable silence, commenting now and then about something in their surroundings, until the sun touched the Earth.

In these last fragments of light, Blaine took the chance of shooting Kurt one last glance. He was met with a pair of glasz eyes looking intensely into his. Neither broke contact, and the magic moment lasted until a cry from Santana informed Kurt that, if he wasn't there until she had stopped speaking, she would skin him alive.

Kurt's lashes touched his cheeks, and he let a breathy chuckle out at his friend's words. He stood up, Blaine following suit, and they shook hands.

"I had a wonderful time today, Blaine", Kurt's voice rang out.

Blaine nodded in agreement, not trusting his voice to work after hours of disuse. His smile, though, was sincere, and he swore Kurt's hand stayed in his a little more than necessary.

"Goodnight, Blaine" Kurt said, turning his back to leave.

"Sweet dreams, Kurt" Blaine finally answered. Kurt turned his head back and waved his hand, smiling.

Neither of them expected what happened the next morning. Blaine woke up to loud noises coming from the Cheerios' campsite, and he stepped outside to see what was going on.

Blinking into the sudden light, he grabbed Quinn's arm to stop her. "What's happening, Quinn?" he asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes with his free hand.

"Well, it seems that the Cheerios' time with us has reached its end", Quinn answered, her hands resting on her hips.

"I beg your pardon?" Blaine inquired, suddenly fully awake.

"You heard me" Quinn responded, shrugging her shoulders. "What's the matter, Blaine?" she asked pointedly. "Worrying you will lose your beloved?"

"That's far from the…" Blaine turned to reply, but she was gone. "Point", he finished, his cheeks burning. Was one day really enough?

He searched through the crowd for a familiar face and found Brittany. "Why are you departing so early?" he asked her, helping her with a heavy-looking suitcase.

She simply shrugged and said, "Sue's decisions rarely make sense. I think some warlock might have enchanted her" she confided with a whisper, and then motioned him to hush. "But don't tell anyone, because they wouldn't believe you." And then she climbed onto the cart, disappearing from his eyesight.

Blaine scratched his head, barely making sense from the girl's words. He turned around and was faced with Santana, who was looking at him with a feral look in her eyes. Unconsciously, he took a step back.

"I don't suppose you insulted her in any way?" she asked him through her teeth. "Because if you did, you have to know I have razors hidden up here" she continued, motioning airily to her raven hair.

"Um, no, no, of course not!" Blaine answered, somewhat insulted.

"Good" she whispered, her eyes calming. Without any other word, she walked away.

"She did not bite your head off, did she?" Kurt asked him, coming near him. He looked at the girl's back and said, "Sometimes, even Sue is afraid of her, and I can see why."

"No, no, she was simply interested in her friend's well-being" Blaine said nonchalantly, while Kurt raised an inquiring eyebrow. Ignoring it, Blaine mumbled through his teeth, "So, I guess this is good-bye?", looking at Kurt.

Kurt shook his head and answered, "Good-bye is so terminal. I rarely say it, so no, it isn't good-bye. I guess it is more like… See you soon?"

Blaine chuckled. "See you soon then, Kurt" he said, taking his hand to shake it.

Instead, Kurt rushed in and hugged him briefly. No one could have seen them, since no one was actually around, but Blaine's face was still astonished.

Kurt smiled radiantly one last time and climbed onto his trailer.

When the trailers were barely visible, his head poked out and he shook his hand at Blaine, who run back to his tent with a bubble of excitement in his chest and a rapidly developing heartbeat.


	5. Chapter 5 - You Leave Me Breathless

**A/N: Wow. What a week. Crazy as f*ck, but I'm not here to talk about this. Instead, what did you guys think of _Sadie Hawkins_? I thought it was great! And I'm positively sure Blaine is transforming into a puppy... We'll see. Oh, also, does anyone have any links to Chris' photoshoot in _AugustMan_? I only saw the video, and damn did that boy grow well.**

**Enough with my drooling :P back to the story. This chapter is sort of a filler... But worry not, next week's gonna have some lovely plot *le gasp* yes, you heard right, plot! Chapter six is where the plot begins, so get ready, munchkins (yes, you too, dear evalilly ;))**

**So, there's nothing more to say other than enjoy! And leave a review or something... No? Okay. I'll live without them. ;)**

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_**Chapter Five – When You Go, You Leave Me Breathless**_

Blaine woke up freezing. His blanket had fallen from his bed and he was curling up in a tight little ball. He reached out, feeling for the fabric, and pulled it up again, over his head. The weather sure hadn't been nice to the company the last few days. He tried to go back to dreamland, but found out that he couldn't. Pity, it was such a nice dream, although he couldn't remember why. It did leave him with a cozy, fuzzy feeling inside though. He kept the blanket over his small frame and made for the drawers.

With sleepy eyes he looked over to Canarino. "Good morning" he whispered, the corner of his mouth raising to form a small smile. He rumpled through his clothes and found a thick sweater, which he put on over his long-sleeved flannel. He grabbed his unitard, slipped his shoes on, and managed to gather the courage to step outside.

He was met with a world of white. So _that's _why he'd been freezing this morning. He hurried back to his tent and threw a big, warm coat over him and bid the warbler good-bye. He ran as quickly as he could to the canteen tent, where the air was warm due to all the cooking. Blaine sat next to Finn, the giant teen looking down on him with an amused look on his face. "What?" asked Blaine, his face forming a suspicious frown. "Man, your nose is entirely red! You look like Rudolf!" Finn admitted, cracking up. Blaine's hands flew to cover his nose, but Quinn crept from behind and grabbed his arms, so he wouldn't attempt anything resembling murder.

"Aw, aren't you just adorable? Our little Blaine, with his little nose red from the cold" she laughed, her hands never releasing their grip. "I'm not that little" Blaine mumbled, pouting. He struggled a little and finally freed himself. Quinn ignored him and started humming under her breath, "_Blainey, the red-nosed reindeer…_". He walked away and sat between Rachel and Noah. "What did Q do to you?" he asked Blaine, a knowing look in his eyes. "Nothing, you know, her usual" Blaine answered, grabbing a pancake. His eyes wandered around for a little, searching for the syrup. After a few seconds, he sighed and rolled his eyes. "Sam, if you please, could you please pass me the syrup?" he asked, momentarily eyeing the blonde.

Sam, who was ready to pour the contents of the bottle into Jake's shirt frowned at Blaine and wordlessly passed him the syrup. "You are always spoiling my pranks" he mumbled. "You know very well that chocolate syrup is my favorite, I've told you a million times to use another one" Blaine answered. Careful so no one could see him, he took the maple syrup bottle that rested by Rachel's dish and discreetly passed it to Sam, winking. Sam's face lit up and continued on with his prank. Jake's shriek tore everyone's ears but Blaine and Sam's, who had the mind to cover them up. Sam wasted no second and took flight as soon as possible to evade Jake's wrath.

Blaine dried his eyes and took a deep breath to stop his laughter. The moment he opened his eyes he was met with Rachel's frown. "What?" he asked her, as if he wasn't already prepared for the lecture that was sure to follow.

"Blaine, you are one of my best friends, but sometimes you act in such an immature way, it really baffles me" she told him, her arms crossed in their signature way.

"Baffles you?"

"Well, you usually are so put together and serious, which is a rare trait around here, if you hadn't noticed" she said, pointing at Finn who was currently juggling an apple on the top of his nose, "and it's nice to take a break of all the childish manners of everyone" she finished off, nibbling at her eggs.

Blaine simply smiled at her, scooted closer and put an arm around her. "Rachel", he started, when she looked at him, a questioning look in her brown eyes, "can you answer me a question? Well, tell me, why don't we just recycle our acts, but constantly look for new ones? It's not like anyone can see two of our shows, right?"

"Well, Blaine… First off, words travel really quickly. If an act is a sensation, someone's bound to write about it, correct? And then, I guess we would get bored" she shrugged. "It would be doing us no good, we would lose interest. It would be like… a routine" she concluded.

He just kept looking at her, until she got it. She rolled her eyes at some point, shoving him lightly. "I hate it when you're so obviously right. And wipe that smug smile off your face, Mr. Smarty-Pants" she dead-panned, pointing at him.

Blaine chuckled and stood. "Come, fair princess; it is time we rehearse our dance."

Secure in his little "dressing-room", or in other words a small gathering of curtains and old sheets that he'd shaped into a rectangular form, Blaine changed into his uniform; brown and dark green, to resemble a hunter's outfit. He was rather proud of what he, Rachel and Mike had planned out for the acrobatics act. Blaine was supposed to be a hunter that entered an enchanted forest, where he met a fairy, namely Rachel. He instantly falls in love with her (Blaine almost choked with laughter when Mike proposed that plot point, eliciting a dark glare from Rachel's place) and courts her. However, the fairy is engaged to a soldier of her tribe, who appears and fights with the hunter. At that point, Blaine had proposed that he would lose the fight and die, which Rachel only accepted as long as the fairy would return to mourn over his dead body. Mike had choreographed the entire act, with Blaine – and Rachel, of course – supervising, and now would be the first time they performed it in front of the rest of the company.

He stopped his train of thought, because if he didn't, he would have to remember the fuss that Rachel made for their costumes. Thankfully, Tina's persuasion and Quinn's death threats served their purpose and the costumes were much more subtle – and much more tasteful – that the ones Rachel had proposed.

He stepped outside his dressing room and joined Mike and Rachel in stretching.

With Rachel's last figure on the pole, the tent erupted in cheers. Blaine stood up from where he was lying, a huge smile on his face. The support he received daily from his friends and teammates was one of the most significant things in his life, and he always needed reassurance that his job was well-done, because he was constantly doubting himself. With one last pat on the shoulder from Sam, he waved at Mike – Rachel was nowhere to be seen – and took to his tent. Next day was their performance, so they got the day off to rest. Some remained in the big tent, to keep practicing, but Blaine always preferred to calm down before the big day. He stopped by the canteen to bring some seeds to Canarino, replaced the water in the tiny tin container he kept in his cage, and sat on his bed. He lay back until his shoulders touched his pillow and then he started daydreaming.

He really liked his life, he thought. He had good friends, a loving family, he was having fun with his "job", he didn't actually miss anything. Although money was scarce, no one complained because no one needed to buy anything more than what the circus already provided them with. They weren't rich, that's for sure, but they certainly weren't poor either.

Lost in his thoughts, Blaine realized he did miss something. He needed someone to love, someone to hold and whisper to at night. Someone to calm him from the nightmares that were haunting him now and then, someone to caress their cheek and look deeply in their eyes.

The moment he thought of that, the clearest blue shone brilliantly in his mind. Then again, it wasn't really blue, he could see it fading to an almost-green, albeit at the same time he spotted traces of grey. A strong jaw-line, warm breath coming out of rosy lips and the flutter of lashes against toned cheekbones. Second by second, the face that showed up in most of his dreams started to form.

Yes, truth was, he was still thinking about Kurt Hummel. The boy had taken him by surprise, so much that that he often caught himself asking Will when would the Cheerios return. Will probably assumed that he was interested in one of the many girls, and Blaine didn't have the intention of correcting his thinking too soon. After all, he had accepted – with a little struggle – who he was, knowing he was not alone, but he didn't know how anyone else would react to the news.

He suddenly frowned. Come to think about it, he didn't even know if Kurt… _shared_ his way of thinking. He quickly brushed this thought away, deciding that it didn't really matter, as the chances were he wouldn't even have the strength to confess his feelings. The realization of that gave him an unpleasant punch in the chest, and he winced as in physical pain. To watch from afar, a mere viewer, he could not stand.

He shook his head, deciding that if he wanted to be on his best page next morning, he had to concentrate on his routines alone. He sat on his desk, the sketchpad he had scribbled the choreography on in hand, the only sound in the small space Canarino's chirping. After a few hours and a satisfying, albeit quiet dinner – everyone's stomachs were tied in knots, so the usual shenanigans and food wars were absent that night – he lied in his bed, not entirely tired, but knowing he should rest, he tried his best to fall asleep.

"Goodnight, Canarino" he called to the now-silent bird. He got a tired chirp in return. He smiled, looking at the tiny slice of sky that he could see from the opening of his tent.

"Goodnight, Kurt" he whispered, turned around and fell in the arms of Morpheus.


	6. Chapter 6 - Walking The Tightrope

**A/N: Wheeeeee! Upload Time! Seriously, one week is too much for me to wait. And I'm the writer. Not good.**

**Anyway, there's a tiny speculation of plot my dear readers in this chapter, as well as... Kurt's POV! Haaaaa, betcha didn't really expect that, huh?**

**Okay, after my stupidity outbursts, I have to say that last episode of Glee was super cute and surprisingly good. Loved it. And let's not forget, brothers and sisters of the Klaine community, that it's only another 11 days until the make-out... In a steamy car... And the duet... I need a moment. Read while I'm passing out because of feelings. Enjoy while I suffer.**

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_**Chapter Six – Walking The Tightrope Between Wrong And Right**_

Blaine woke up even earlier than usual the next morning, and he was an early riser to begin with; the sun hadn't risen yet, so he just snuggled even more in his blanket. A small smile started forming on his full lips. He loved these little moments, simple things that warmed his heart more than riches ever could. He opened up one eye, taking in his surroundings. A light rose light illuminated the inside of the tent, creating shadows that devoured most of the trinkets around the room. Canarino was sleeping, hiding his little head behind his feathers of his neck, looking like a little fluffy ball.

Blaine chuckled with his thought, then opened up both his eyes and craned his neck to peek out of the tent. The snow was still covering the ground, reflecting the early sunbeams. Blaine sighed, knowing he was not going to get any sleep any time soon, so he rose and put his uniform on, ready to go for one final rehearsal.

Kurt was hiding as best as he possibly could. Not behind walls, mind you, but behind ordinary – very well, not so ordinary, he did have an exceptionally good taste in fashion – clothes and a far-away look in his blue eyes. He checked his pocket-watch one last time, making sure that the time was right, then he fixed his tie and walked into the big tent.

He felt a little guilty that he was spying on the New Directions, but Sue was adamant that he did, and he liked his life quite a bit to let her kill him slowly and painfully, as she would.

He gazed around, looking for a place to sit. A group of small children ran past him, laughing and shouting. A smile crinkled the corners of his eyes, affection tugging in his heart. This had always been one of his favorite things about working in a circus, the honest smiles on the little children's faces. He remembered the times he went with his mother and father to the circus when he was a child, and the smile faded away.

He sat down, trying not to think about Burt Hummel. He had left his father sick with prostate cancer, and that was the one thing that haunted his sleep at nights. He buried his face in his hands, wanting, _needing_ to forget about his past that wouldn't leave him be, even if he put it behind him.

He felt a light tug on his sleeve and looked down, his eyes falling on a little girl with auburn braids on each side of her head. "Don't be sad, Mister; here, have a tissue" she said in a high-pitched voice, handing him a handkerchief.

Kurt's heart was ready to bust out of his chest. "Thank you very much, Miss…?"

"Elizabeth", the little girl answered, and brought her teddy bear even closer to her.

The lump that was forming in Kurt's throat was suffocating him. "I'll be right back, miss Elizabeth" he whispered and run outside, to the fresh air and the sheer cold. Tears had already started flowing, tracing tracks that were running down his face. He looked up at the night sky, taking a shaky breath to calm himself down, and he closed his eyes firmly.

"I miss you", he whispered in the dark of the night, looked at the full moon one last time and went back to the tent.

Young Elizabeth had returned to her parents, but she saw him and waved at him. He waved back, smiling politely at her parents. He sat down, feeling better than before, and waited for the show to start.

The acts revolving around fire are perhaps the most dangerous inside a fabric tent, but none in the company was worried, because the Puckermans were the best fire benders there were. Jake had most of the innovative ideas that kept the audience on edge, gasping throughout the numbers and gaping at the end, but Noah was truly controlling the flames. He touched them, carried them around, breathed them in and spat them, tamed them like the wild beast they were. Not Blaine, not anyone else knew how the tricks were seen through, for while the brothers were very social and talkative, this was the one topic they held dead silence.

Blaine stared, wide-eyed, at how the brothers were synchronized perfectly to the second, spinning the alight sticks around so fast, only a blur was visible where their hands should be. They lowered and lowered the sticks, when suddenly a ring of fire roared around them, eliciting a great gasp for the audience and Blaine alike. The initial shock was over, however, and Blaine's trust in the boys was restored. "Another genius idea of Jake's", he mumbled, not sure if he admired the teen for his creative mind or hated him for the many times he almost had a heart-attack.

The fire-acts were finished, and the audience clapped and cheered with all their might. Kurt joined them, surprised at how well-executed the act were. The clowns were very funny as well, and Kurt found himself laughing numerous time with the tall man's shenanigans and the pranks that an Asian boy and a blonde guy played at him.

Three girls showed up next, one blonde, the other Asian, and the last one a brunette with pale blue eyes, all of them strikingly beautiful. They captivated the crowd with their acts of contortion and rhythmic gymnastics, manipulating the silver hoops and silk ribbons with a rare grace. When they bowed and exited the stage, Kurt looked at his program and read the last act was like "nothing he had ever seen, a magical combination of acrobatics that is sure to captivate his heart and imagination". Although he had enjoyed the show so far, he did find the preview a little pompous. Then he remembered the boy he had met when they visited New Directions, Blaine. He unconsciously smiled at the memory, like he did every time he thought of the curly-haired boy. He was a very peculiar character, that's for sure; he was bright and lively, yet at the same time he was a dapper young man. He was so easy to like, although Kurt had started to like him in a more intimate way than he should, and that's why he always tried to shake the boy from his mind.

This time it was proving really hard, for as he had just managed to return his focus on the show, Blaine's silhouette appeared on the tightrope. The young man's physique was perfect for acrobatics, Kurt noticed, lean but strong and fine-toned. Maybe he wasn't cut for aerial acts, especially not silks, but Kurt could still see the reason why every young lady in the audience was ogling him.

Oh, he could _certainly_ see why.

'Focus, Kurt' he snapped at himself. Blaine was a very handsome man indeed, but he shouldn't let his feelings get ahead. He was positively sure that Blaine was... _ordinary_ in these terms, so he should spare these thoughts while he still could. Too bad that he hadn't done so.

The lights turned down, and the spotlight was fixed on Blaine. Kurt tuned down every other thought in his head and focused on the act. Blaine took a hesitant step forward, seemingly unsure if he should continue. He took another two steps forward, his speed growing, and at some point he started running.

The lights were luminescent now, and Kurt could see the elaborate pattern in which the tightropes were arranged. He was mildly impressed, all but waiting to see how would Blaine ascend the sloping ropes, and how he would descend others, all the more while not falling face-first to the ground. When the boy started performing somersaults and jumping from one rope to another, Kurt was constantly on edge for any misstep that would cause him his fall.

When he made it to the highest rope, still in one piece, he looked around, slowly getting a bow from the satchel on his back. A sound was heard, so Blaine snapped his head to the right, aiming his arrow directly at it.

The bow made a light thump when it fell onto the ground, for Blaine was awestruck by an eerie-looking girl sitting on a trapeze. She was already swinging and when she caught sight of him, she leaned her head on the rope and smiled at him.

She stood up gracefully on the trapeze, always looking at Blaine, who was seemingly captivated by her beauty – Kurt rolled his eyes; yes, the girl was pretty, but not an exceptional beauty, although he was not one to judge - and then she fell, hanging only by her feet on the trapeze, and stretched her hands towards Blaine. He took them and then they were floating on air, their only grasp the girl's feet. When Blaine let go of her hands, Kurt – along with the audience – let a gasp of shock escape him, but then he calmed down when Blaine grasped an until then invisible trapeze.

Kurt marveled at the coordination between the pair, although he hadn't grasped the concept of the story thus far. It was obvious that Blaine and the girl were romantically involved – and with that thought, something stung inside him – but other than that, he couldn't understand why Blaine carried a bow with him or why the girl looked so eerie. He could feel it on the edge of his tongue, but he couldn't quite mouth it yet.

That moment, the girl stood on the trapeze and twirled with grace in thin air, landing safely on Blaine's lap who secured an arm around her. She stroked his hair and then leaned more and more back, until she was heading straight to the ground.

She came back and cradled Blaine's face, and Kurt's unease – he refused to call it jealousy – was growing more and more, until another figure appeared on the scene.

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**Continued A/N: Okay, I'm better - sort of - now. Also, yeah, a small cliffhanger... sorry, but it would be ENORMOUS had I not cut it here; and while I have no problem with this, I understand that for some readers it might get tiresome. So, review fellas, if only just to say how and why I get to your nerves! Klisses and hugs ㈍9**


	7. Chapter 7 - We All Need The Clowns

**A/N: Chapter...? Seven! Booyah! I missed you, people! How are ya? Good, I hope. Did you watch last week's ep? Did you? I did, and I found it quite great! I don't really like the turn that Blaine and Tina's relationship is taking, but... We shall see. **

**Enough canon. Non-canon is here, and this chapter is quite bigger (evalilly, hide that grin, I know what you're thinking ;) ) than before, so take a deep breath and dive into a world of crazy acts, suspence and romance (sh*t, where does this insipration come from when I don't need it? Off to do mah homework!). Enjoy lovelings!**

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_**Chapter Seven – We All Need The Clowns To Make Us Smile**_

Kurt recognized the young man from the clown act before; he was a raven haired, Asian-looking man, lean as a stick. His face was distorted into a mask of anger, and Kurt finally grasped the concept of the act; this guy, who was as elfish-looking as the girl were some kind of fairies, while Blaine was a hunter, perhaps? Were the girl and the other guy betrothed or something parallel, were Blaine and the girl illegal lovers?

Kurt was intrigued, and stared with wide eyes at the stage to watch the rest of the story. The other boy stretched his hand towards the pair, who both snapped their heads toward him. The girl jumped from her place on Blaine's legs onto the trampoline below and then grabbed her own trapeze and stood up on it. Blaine's face expression was mirroring his enemy's when he stood up and fell from his trapeze, twirling around it and ending up hanging by his knees. Then, he completely let go, performing a somersault in air and landed on the trampoline, face to face with his opponent. The girl had vanished, and they stared at each other for a minute, and then they started jumping backwards and performing captivating figures, graceful and yet resembling a fight all the while. Kurt was left jaw dropped, eyes wide, because this was by far one of the most – if not indeed the most – amazing and well-done acrobatics show he had ever attended.

The battle on the trampoline was raging on, but suddenly they jumped towards each other and the other boy lifted up his arm, as in holding a knife, and pinned Blaine down on the trampoline. Kurt, along with the rest of the audience, gasped and covered his mouth, and by then the other boy had left the stage.

Only one spotlight was lit now, shining brightly on Blaine and painting the rest of the tent pitch black. The man's body was resting on the trampoline, still and lifeless, and Kurt could feel agony washing over him. Then suddenly, another spotlight was lit, and the fairy-girl came into view with her trapeze again, hanging by her knees, her face washed in grief. She gracefully jumped on the trampoline, a few feet away from Blaine, and then ran towards his body, where she brought her hands to her heart and fell on her knees, burying her face in Blaine's chest. And then, darkness.

Kurt was the first one to start applauding like mad when the lights turned down. When they came back on, the props were gone, and instead the entire company was standing in a row, taking bows and interacting with the audience.

He tried to leave as fast as he could, which was proving quite difficult, what with all the people wishing to do so themselves. The moment he stepped out of the tent, he left was quickly as he could, always stepping in shadow, trying not to be spotted by any member of the company.

He had covered a pretty long distance to where Sue's coach was waiting for him, until he heard voices. One voice in particular, and a well-known one, for that matter. He stood as closely as he could to where the deepest shadows would provide him coverage and searched the whereabouts of the voice.

As he was walking, he finally spotted him; still in his uniform, his hair free from the hair gel helmet he'd transformed in it for the show, fluffy and just so touchable. He was sitting on the ground, a tiny yellow bird hopping around him. He was talking to it, whistling at some points, and the bird travelled from his shoulder to his leg to his head. His face broke into a huge smile, and Kurt felt something tugging in his heart.

He gasped, and then quickly covered his mouth. Blaine had heard the sound and turned his head towards him. Even in the scarce light of the moonlight, his eyes seemed as big and pretty as in broad daylight. His brow had furrowed in confusion, and Kurt walked away as fast as he could while maintaining his hiding place.

Blaine shrugged and decided that he was probably just imagining things again. Canarino's chirping from the top of his head brought him back to Earth. "What is it? Oh, you want to go to the after-show? Well, I'd be glad to escort you there, dear sir" Blaine responded to his vibrant chirps, and stood up slowly and carefully, caring not to disturb the little animal. He walked back to where the laughter and voices could be heard.

He smiled as he walked past dozens of families, each with at least one small child that somehow always managed to tangle in his feet. He laughed whole-heartedly, always meeting the parents' apologies with a warm smile and a nod of the head, ad if saying "it's okay". He turned his gaze to the Puckermans, now playing with their knives and swords. A bunch of teen boys had gathered round them, barely younger than Jake. He never quite grasped that, how people his age from outside of the circus always looked… alien to him. He could have been like them, Will had asked him at least a zillion time if he ever wanted to study and leave the circus. He'd told him it would be natural to do so, but Blaine wouldn't change his life for anything.

Rachel hopped behind him, twirling in her lovely skirt. "Blaine, I've been looking everywhere for you!" she chirped, jumping up and down from joy. "What is it, Rach?" Blaine asked her, used to her enthusiasm by now. "Oh, why the long face?" she teased him, poking at his side. He squinted his eyes and fake-glared at her, so she mirrored him. This had been the signal for a stare contest, one that Blaine was fairly sure that Rachel would win.

"Damn!" he said when he blinked. Rachel whooped and started jumping up and down again. "What is it you wanted me for anyway?" he asked her, trying to change subjects.

"Well, the after-show is over soon enough, so we will all meet at the big tent" she began, until Blaine cut her. "Yes, as we do after _every _show; is this going somewhere, Rachel?"

"Well, you will probably shout at me for what I did, and you'd be right, but I said that you are going to sing as well with the rest of us tonight" she said quickly, stepping away from him. "You did what?" "Come on, Blaine, how bad could you possibly be? You can't be worse than Mike!"

He sighed, mostly because she had a point. "Very well, miss Berry, I _will _sing tonight." She clapped her hands, a giddy smile on her face. "Next time, just smile like that and ask me, I will surely accept" he told her smiling and he tapped her nose.

After a few hours, when every patron of the circus had gone away, the small group of the New Directions had gathered in the big tent, others sitting on the plush carpet and others at the bleachers. Blaine was sitting between Quinn and Rachel, not paying attention to the scathing glares the two girls were exchanging. When the last person – Sam – came into the tent, Rachel stood up and cleared her throat, grabbing the attention of everyone.

"Good evening, everybody! First of all, I would like to offer my congratulations to each and every one of you; I think I am speaking for both us and the audience when I say that this was one of our best shows, although I of course was by far the greatest star of it…"

"Rachel, some of us don't exactly enjoy sitting here and listening to your self-adoring speeches, so if you _please_, just get on with it?" Quinn shouted at her, leaning in Blaine's side, her eyes drooping.

"Very well, your Highness. Tonight, I would like to introduce one of my closest friends to the stage, mister Blaine Anderson!" she cheered, making the rest of the tent clap with her. Blaine stood up, partly because he was pushed by Quinn, who had somehow woken up again, and walked towards Rachel. "Forget what I said, don't ever ask anything like this again!" he whispered, motioning for her to sit down. She winked at him and went to sit by Finn's side.

"Hey everyone! Um, I guess I should repeat what Rachel said, it was indeed an amazing show, so congratulations to us all!" he started, cut by the encouraging applause coming from all his friends. "Huh, I guess I can't really step back now, can I? Well, you all know that this is the first time I've ever performed in front of any body, unless you count my pet" everyone laughed. "So, here goes!"

He walked to the piano, which had been transferred to the centre of the stage, and sat. He closed his eyes, forgot where he was and just started singing:

_Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,  
Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;  
Sounds of the rude world, heard in the day,  
Lulled by the moonlight have all passed away…  
Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,  
List while I woo thee with soft melody;  
Gone are the cares of life's busy throng,  
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me…  
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me…_

It was a beautiful song, a song that Emma used to sing to him when he was younger; she still did sometimes, he loved listening to her voice. The notes always calmed him down and gave him a feeling of belonging, of _home_; and that's what it felt right there and then, with all his friends that he felt like family. He smiled and carried on with the song:

_Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea,  
Mermaids are chanting the wild Lorelei  
Over the streamlet vapors are borne,  
Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn.  
Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart,  
Even as the morn on the streamlet and sea;  
Then will all clouds of sorrow depart,  
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me…  
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me…_

As the song came to its end and his voice faltered, no sound was heard in the big tent. But suddenly, a loud thunderstorm of applauding and cheering sliced the silence in half, catching Blaine off his tracks and startling him.

The first thing he felt was being tackled by someone. "Oh my, Blaine, why didn't you say? It was a crime that you hid your voice away for so long, an entirely punishable action!" Rachel said in one breath, her voice louder than usual. "So, does that mean you liked it?" Blaine asked, still unsure. "Are you joking? Man, you truly have an amazing voice!" Finn said, trying to pull Rachel off of him.

Blaine's blood rushed to his cheek, as every single member of the New Directions had some compliment to make. Even Puck said, "Well, I might not be all that into girly songs like that, but Blaine, your voice is awesome, man!"

When he sat back down, a little further away from before, and gave the floor to Artie, that had prepared an all new song for them, he felt oddly relieved; he hated being forced by his insecurity to hide parts of himself, but then he was fairly sure they wouldn't embrace his differences. Their reaction to his singing was a pleasant surprise, and put him into thinking that maybe, someday, when he mastered up the courage, he could tell them about his biggest secret…

He shook his head, deciding that no hard thinking needed be done that moment. For the time being, he looked all around, and all he could see was love and affection. Smiles, hugs, familiarity, comfort, support and care. All he could see was family.

_No, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world_, Blaine thought.

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**A/N: The song is called 'Beautiful Dreamer' (you don't say!), and it's an actual song from 18-something. It's quite pretty, check it out! But before that... You guessed it... Review? No? Okay. Just... Be ready for next chapter, it's gonna be good! Klisses everyone, Kleenex evalilly ;***


	8. Chapter 8 - Something About You Now

**A/N: Okay... Wow. What. A week.**

**Why yes, I'm still not over this episode, thanks for asking. Seriously, who did actually _expect_ these scenes? No one? Thought so. **

**If someone hasn't watched it, beware. Be alone when you do. I couldn't stop laughing out of jubilation for 5 minutes straight after they first came on screen (wow, did that sound strange or is my mind dirty? Evalilly, don't answer, we both know your imagination is sexier than mine :P)**

**I have to stop now, or else I'll never do. Back to my story (what? Isn't this a place we all just voice our opinions after the episodes air? We actually have to write stories too?)**

**This chapter is long. Like, really, really long. What can I say, I liked where it was going! Plot is here, again - and something actually interesting, smut isn't too far away ;) that's right, this ain't a cute, PG rated fanfic. Just sayin ;)**

**Nothing else to say. Enjoy yourselfs, fellow Klainers! And remember; the odds are in our favor!**

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**_Chapter_**_** Eight – Something About You Now, I Can't Quite Familiarize**_

Kurt was looking out of his trailer's window, gazing the sun set in the horizon, his mind wavering. He could hear laughter from other trailers, and it was one of these days that he'd wish he'd never asked Sue – a little bossily, maybe – for his own separate trailer. But then again, he didn't think he'd like sharing his personal space.

He thought about Sue and an amused smile graced his lips. She was horrible. She'd have her good days, but most days her only goal would be to rain on everybody's parade. She had at least two nicknames for everyone; his own were Princess and Porcelain; the first one because he looked and acted like "a little spoiled girl", as she told him and the other one because his skin "was so pale, ghosts would be envy". They hurt at first, but through time they'd become sort of amusing, especially when he didn't really look so delicate anymore.

He walked towards his bed, wanting just to lie down for a while, before they made it to their destination. He took another glimpse as he passed in front of his mirror, secured firmly against the wall with pins and staple. It still startled him, the fast transforming of the roundness of his face to the strong, angled lines that defined it now.

He lay in his bed, turning his head to look at the sunrise a little more. It had been a peaceful day so far, which meant that sooner or later, Sue would do something to ruin it.

"You, Twiddle-Dumb! Go tell Porcelain to come in my office, I need to talk to him!"

Kurt closed his eyes and sighed. Before he could stand, Brittany had opened his door and motioned at him to come outside. "Kurt, I still don't think Sue had learned our names. Do you think perhaps we should make some signs and always wear them, so she'll never confuse them anymore?", she asked him as he was walking past her.

He smiled gently at her and took her hand, saying "That's a delightful idea, Brittany! Why don't you get started, maybe you could do all of our cards, because I think some of us are a little shy."

"You are right, Kurt! I should start right away, or else I'll never make it in time!" she exclaimed and skipped to her own trailer.

Kurt smiled one more at the direction of the young girl and walked towards Sue's trailer. It must had been something extra important, or else Sue wouldn't have stopped the course of the entire company just to talk to him.

"Oh, how great of you to grace us with your presence, Princess" she snarled at him. It gave him a feeling of security.

"Hello to you too, Sue. May I inquire as to why you called me here?"

"Well, if you're so eager to know, I want to share my thoughts with you. You are my head Cheerio, along with Santana, and the one of you two I, terrified, find myself to like some days. Thankfully, they never last long."

Kurt tried too hard not to roll his eyes.

"Anyway, after your notes on the New Directions' show, which I may add were a little bit over the top for me, I've come to a conclusion. I think we should join their company, since they are the second greatest in the continent, which will benefit us. I would ask for your opinion on this, but it is trivial, so you'd better go and tell the news to the girls."

The news had caught Kurt by surprise. Sue never admitted someone's vantages, much less took someone's advice but her own. Still, he felt his chest light with the thought that he'd see the members of the 'New Directions' again; or just specifically one person…

The trailers had stopped, so he gathered all the Cheerios around him and shared the news. He didn't stay to see their reaction, but just dashed to his "room", deciding what to wear for when they'd arrive at the other company's campsite. He would rather wear a barrel than his Cheerio uniform, that he was sure of.

Blaine was slowly waking up, feeling a little sore. His pillow felt unusually rough underneath his cheek, almost like cold soil. He dunk his forehead in the pillow, feeling dampness. He opened one eye and shrieked, jumping up. It really _was_ cold soil, and God knows how long he'd been sleeping on it. Heavens, he might have even _eaten_ some.

His nose crinkling in disgust, he rose up and dusted his clothes. He looked at the mayhem of blankets that had fallen with him on the ground, scratching his head to comprehend when and how he'd fallen. He looked over to Canarino's cage, the bird still sleeping, and he went outside his tent to find Sam waiting for him.

"Blaine! Did you hear the news?" the blonde man asked him. Blaine rubbed his eyes, shrugging his shoulders and looking at his friend with a sleepy yet inquiring eye. "The Cheerios are coming back! That crazy woman, Sylvester, sent Will a letter informing him when and how they'd be here! In fact, they should be here in a while" he ended, finally taking a breath and glanced at his watch. He turned his eyes on Blaine and his face took a curious and confused expression. "Man, why are you all dirty?"

"I've fallen off my bed at night, somehow" Blaine rubbed his eyes once more, and then stretched his arms like a cat. He let the sun warm his face a little more, and then told Sam "I'm going to the lake to take a bath and clean myself for our guests. Don't tell anyone, will you?"

"Of course not, you can count on me" Sam yelled behind his shoulder, running towards Quinn that had dropped all of what seemed to be the year's supply of apples, and looked positively ready to throw a tantrum. Blaine mimicked Sam's actions, running in the opposed direction, towards the lake they had found when they were exploring the campsite. No one else had found the landmark, so they used it as a personal hide-away or just a bath. The water was cold, but after a while they'd get used to it.

He slipped out of his clothes, taking his time, basking in the sun a while more. The early and unexpected for mid-October snowfall had gone as it came, quickly and unnoticed. The weather was warm now, so he took every opportunity of swimming in this little lake.

He quickly dove into the blue underneath him, trying not to think of the chilliness of the water. He swam a bit around, dove once or twice more, and then just relaxed. He made for the banks, gripping the bar of soap he'd taken with him, and washed his hair and body – some of it anyway, since most of him was underwater. He left the bar on the ground once more, diving into the water to rinse out the soap. He rose once more, shaking the excess water off his hair.

"Would you mind if I joined you?", the voice that haunted his dreams asked him. Blaine snapped around, startled, resulting his slipping and falling into the water. He swam up, coughing and gagging. When he opened his stinging eyes, he saw Kurt standing at the banks of the lake, his hand resting on his jaunting hips. He was smartly dressed, a dark, fine-tailored suit hugging his slender yet strong waist and his dress pants just a little too tight around his crotch, making Blaine feel the water around him a little hotter than it actually was.

Kurt smiled like he was holding back a fit of laughter. Blaine made a malicious thought about what the best way to kill Sam without anyone suspecting him was, all the while trying to avoid eye contact with the boy in front of him. Something that wasn't proving to be an easy task.

"Well, I guess I would be mortified too if another man caught me half-naked inside a lake, so I'll rid you of the embarrassment and go away for now" Kurt joked, turning to leave. "But just so you know, anyone else would just sit here and enjoy the view" he continued, not turning to look at Blaine. When his figure disappeared, Blaine hung his head in frustration and hurried out of the water, dried himself off quickly with his towel and put his clothes on.

The moment he returned to the campsite, he spotted Sam rubbing the back of his neck and resembling a kicked puppy while Quinn was shouting at him, because apparently in his eagerness of helping her, not only the apples had taken a second trip to the ground, but also the oranges and a sack of flour. Oh, that'd be interesting to witness.

"She really is something, isn't she?", Kurt asked him, hands in his pockets, eyes on the scene before them. _Seriously_, Blaine thought, _one more unexpected appearance of his and I'll start considering he's not entirely human. Not that it is a difficult task, after all…_

"Yes, but she can be very kind when her moons are right, I'll give her that" Blaine commented. Kurt turned to face him. Blaine avoided his eyes, insert clearing his throat and looking at Sam and Quinn once more. "So, about before…"

Kurt chuckled and waved it off. "It's okay, you don't need to be embarrassed or anything, and you certainly don't need to be mad at your friend for that. He actually tried to block me", he scuffed, as if that was impossible.

Blaine smiled at the confidence of the young man beside him. "So, how come you returned?", he asked, curiosity picking his mind. "Well, apparently Sue made up her mind and decided that we should join with you. And maybe she was influenced by your latest show…" Kurt responded, eyed gazing nowhere, and shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant way. He turned his head to smile mysteriously at Blaine.

A small line appeared between Blaine's brows as he was thinking. "But, she wasn't there at the show, was she?"

Kurt chuckled and closed his eyes. "No, I can assure you Sue didn't attend the show. But someone else might have done so." Blaine was taken aback by those words. It couldn't be, he would have noticed him, right? Kurt awaited for Blaine's response, the man before him looking at the ground and contemplating the facts he was just given. When Blaine raised his eyes to meet his own, he was on edge to listen to what he had to say.

"Would you like to go for a walk? It's positively beautiful here at noon" the young man asked instead, taking Kurt by surprise. "I would love to", Kurt answered, so they began walking side by side through the thin arrange of the trees.

"Did you like the show then, Kurt?" Blaine asked him, turning to look at him.

"It was beautiful. Every single act was wonderful to watch in its own way; but my personal favorite was the acrobatics show."

Blaine blushed and looked anywhere but Kurt's face, which was graced with a beautiful smile. "Really? And why would that be?"

"Well, for one, the performers seemed to be extremely talented" Kurt noticed, "and also the storyline was captivating, although sad. All in all, I might have seen a handful of acrobatics acts, but this was the best one."

"You don't need to be kind, you know", Blaine told him after he was finished. "I'm sure there were some parts that could have been a lot better, and I refuse to believe that you have never watched anything better that that" he concluded, bending down and picking up a flower. It was a stunningly beautiful white carnation, with tiny specks of blue on its tips. "Do you like flowers?", he asked Kurt while standing up again, hiding the flower by his hip.

"I do, actually" Kurt commended. "And I wasn't just being kind, I never lie or compliment. I am always honest with everyone; treat others the way you want to be treated, that's what I think" he added, smiling sweetly at Blaine.

"You seem quite wise for someone your age" Blaine said, offering him the flower. "Here you go, kind sir."

"Why, thank you, sir Blaine" Kurt played along, hardly hiding his giggle. He stayed silent for a moment and just looked at the flower. "I would pick you", he finally said, his eyes still cast on the carnation.

"Excuse me?" Blaine asked, confusion in his eyes.

"If I was to choose between you and a fairy betrothed, I would choose you" Kurt whispered, leaning forward. He tucked the flower in his breast pocket and walked away to where all the Cheerios were gathering. "See you later, Blaine!"


	9. Chapter 9 - I'm Falling For Your Eyes

**A/N: Hellow darlings! How are you hanging in there? I hope you do better than I do; I'm just a big sack of nerves since yesterday, and the worst part is, I don't know why! **

**Anyway, I'm not here to talk about me (I save that for Tumblr.). I'm here to deliver you yet another chapter of our beloved boys in the Victorian Era. So, this chapter was a _pain in the ass_, if you don't my french-speaking. I just finished this yesterday, so my dear, crazy friend and beta, yes, you know her, evalilly, hasn't got to read this, much less correct it, and I'm entirely sorry to both her and you. I'm a bad girl, huh? Whatevah, I'm on the highway to hell anyway, b*tches!**

**A few notes:**

**Un: There's a refernce in there just for evalilly; kudos if you find it, girl ;)**

**Dos: The scene at night, with them talking, was the second scene that came to mind that fateful Wednesday evening, when I had a dream about those two during my nap, which gave me the inspiration of writing this. Give me a sec, I'm getting emotional here.**

**Tres: I don't know if Tom Thumb was a known tale back then, but either way, it's here. Deal with it :***

**Next chapter is going to be awsome; I hope. But until then, enjoy, and review, maybe? No? Okay. Just enjoy then ;)**

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_**Chapter Nine – I'm Falling For Your Eyes, But They Don't Know Me Yet**_

It was late already; Blaine couldn't pinpoint what time it was exactly, but he was sure it was well after midnight. The companies' trailers had started moving at ten o'clock, after everything was packed and everyone was good to go. Will and Sue had announced that, from now on, the Cheerios and the New Directions would be two joined, but still independent companies. No one had understood what that meant, but no one dared to ask anything; everyone was afraid of Sue, except Will, so it seemed.

It was dark, but Blaine didn't want to sleep. He wasn't tired, so he instead went to his little desk by the trailer's window and started working on the routine for the next show. He had made quite a progress, when a figure appeared at the window of the trailer opposite to his. Blaine squinted his eyes, trying to make out the silhouette, when the person lit a candle.

When Kurt raised his eyes to meet his, a surprised smile made its way to his lips. He waved at Blaine, who waved back, smiling as well. Kurt disappeared for a second, but when he came back he held a big notebook and a pencil in his hands, and motioned them at Blaine, as if asking, _is this okay?_ Blaine gave him a thumbs up, so Kurt started scribbling right away.

_Why aren't you sleeping?_, Blaine read, so he answered:

_I don't feel tired at all. How about you?_

_Me neither. Did you understand what Sue and Will were talking about?_

_No, but since no one else did, I think I'm okay._

Kurt dipped his head and chuckled. When he looked back at Blaine, his eyes were sparkling. Blaine cleared his throat, and tried to hide it by writing, _How do you like it here so far?_

_Well, it is different, but I guess it's in our nature to adapt._

Blaine was taken aback by this statement, mostly because of the sad look on Kurt's face, a look that showed loneliness and resignation.

_What's wrong? Do you need to talk about something?_

_Maybe, but not tonight. Not now. I'm sorry, but I just don't feel like it yet._

_I'll be waiting. Just know that whenever you feel ready, I'll be here._

Kurt looked ready to cry. Still, he took a shaky breath and wrote, _You don't know how much this means to me. Thank you, Blaine. You're a great friend._

The small smile that tugged the corners of Kurt's mouth lifted a burden from Blaine's chest. He smiled back sweetly and wrote on his cardboard, _Go to sleep, Kurt. Tomorrow is a new day, and we have so much to do!_

_You are always excited about something, are you not?_

_It's better than being bored all the time!_

_Very well, you excited pup. Good night!_

_Sweet dreams!_

Kurt waved at him and closed the curtains in his tent, leaving the fabric glistening in the moonlight. Blaine closed his own as well, changed into his pajamas and lied in his bed, closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, Kurt was nowhere to be found. Blaine had breakfast as usual, trying to be patient, but when noon arrived and still he had no news from the man, he decided to just wait for him. He walked to the clearing of the woods near which they had camped and lied down, gazing at the sunlight that broke through the branches above him. He quickly relaxed and closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth and the peace of the moment.

Which moment was quickly over when the light was somehow blocked from his face, so he opened one eye and squinted at the form above his head. He jumped up when he saw the inquiring look of a certain Latina, who chuckled at his reaction. She sat beside him, crossed her legs and kept on looking at him. "It's time you and I had a small chit-chat, Tom Thumb."

"Wh-what?" "Well, I couldn't help but notice you looked a little lost since we came back. You sigh every other second and you look into nothing, so all modesties aside, who's the chick?"

"Miss Santana, I am afraid I still don't understand what you are talking about." Santana rolled her eyes and scooted closer to him, until her knees touched his. "I know what being in love looks like, Anderson. I will deny it if you go public with what I'm going to say now, and I will cut you in half, too, but I am in love as well. However, my feelings are impossible to be returned by that person, so I know how hard unrequited love can be. So, here you are, pour your heart out to Aunt Santana" she smiled at him and patted his knee.

Blaine had raised his eyebrow in suspicion, and asked her, "when you say your feelings are impossible to be returned, you mean…?"

Santana sighed and said, "let's just say I can't tell anyone about it, 'cause they'd think me as a monster, or a freak. Anyone includes you too, shorty-pants, so don't even think of pushing any more" Santana winked at him.

Blaine raised his hands in the air, as in surrender. "Can I ask you something? How do you know it's love, what you feel? It could be just your imagination, or…"

Santana smiled sadly. "I know. I know because whenever I look at… _that_ person, my heart stops for a second. I can't stop thinking about _them_. They're everything to me. I want to always be with them, see them smile, hear them talk, listen to their laughter, feel their happiness. Love, Anderson, isn't something your body or your mind can fake. Attraction, perhaps, but love is an entirely different subject. You seem troubled" she noticed, looking at him through eyes filled with – could it be? – sympathy.

Blaine looked at her face, her full lips, her almond, dark eyes and wondered, _why can't I be normal? Why can't I feel attraction for her, when she's clearly so beautiful?_ "It's nothing", he answered her, "I just… I respect your secret, Santana, because I know what it's like to hold such a heavy burden inside of you." Santana flashed a smile at him and asked him, her mood perked up, "So? Who's the unlucky girl?"

"I can't tell you for now. Maybe one day, but not now" Blaine smiled at her, winking. He stood up and dusted his behind from the grass and soil. "Oh, by the way, do you happen to know where Kurt is? I haven't seen him all day, we had arranged a meeting, and…"

"He's at the big tent now, but his disappearances are a common occurrence, don't let it shake you" she shrugged from her place on the ground. Blaine offered her his hand but she glared at him, so he quickly pulled it back. She stood up and took him by the arm, saying "let's go, Anderson, a certain Kurt Hummel must be waiting for you."

While they were walking back to the campsite, Santana kept her thoughts to herself, which forced Blaine to process what she had told him. Could it be love, what he was feeling for Kurt? Just by the thought of his name, his heart leaped in his chest. He furrowed his brows, trying to make things clear with himself. If it was really love, then he was in for some hard time. He couldn't just tell Kurt, right? He didn't want to jeopardize their friendship. He wasn't good at romance, that was for sure. And then there was this small problem of him being a _man _in love with another _man_; who was he kidding, he was at a deadlock.

His troubled mind was forced to stop this train of thought when Santana shook him and shouted in his ear, "Hey Anderson! Wake up! We're here!"

"Alright, Santana, I can hear you, you don't need to scream!" he answered, equally loud. "Really? Because I told you three times already, but apparently your head is in the clouds." Blaine had come back ready, but Santana raised her finger and cut him. "Uh-uh, not today, cutie. I have to go get Brittany, she's not here, and Sue will shoot her if she finds out" she informed him over her shoulder while running towards her trailer.

Blaine put his hands to his waist, pouting his lips in anger. He scuffed and went into the tent, where he was met with Saint John's Apocalypse. Things were flying all around, people were fighting with whomever was closer and everywhere he turned his eyes to, he saw either hair-pulling or fist-fighting or full on battles.

Shocked before this mayhem, he didn't notice Kurt running towards him until he stood beside him, panting and yelling "Thank _God_ I found you" and he grabbed his hand. Blaine's heart skipped a beat, but soon his foot also skipped a step and they both went tumbling behind the bleachers. They fell on the ground, and Kurt started laughing his lungs out. His laughter was infectious, so Blaine soon followed his lead. A few seconds later, when they wiped their eyes and turned to look at each other, their faces were only inches apart. Kurt simply smiled and kept looking at Blaine, who was blushing furiously but couldn't tear his eyes from the other man's for the life of his.

A few minutes flew by so, until Kurt broke the 'silence' – figure of speech. "You have beautiful eyes, you know that?"

Blaine chuckled self-consciously and answered back, "You stole the words right from my mouth, mister."

Kurt's smile got bigger and his eyes crinkled, and Blaine wondered how he hadn't realized that something so simple could be breathtaking. Their faces started inching closer and closer, following their pure instincts…

"There you two are; don't think for one minute you can get away! Shorty, make peace, or else there won't be any company left tomorrow save the two of you."

Kurt's face implied a mild annoyance towards Santana's form, and Blaine couldn't exactly understand why, but he also felt that way towards the girl. He patted Kurt's thigh where it rested beside him and whispered, "I'll see you later?". Kurt nodded and asked, "Where?". Blaine gave him directions to the clearing of woods he had been during lunch time, and Kurt slowly walked away. Blaine didn't look away until his figure was completely out of sight, and then he stood, took a deep breath and ran towards the audio-visual deck, where he grabbed his loudspeaker and caught everyone's attention.

"I don't know why this… _this_ happened, and frankly, I don't give a damn, but if you want any food tomorrow whatsoever and also wish to keep this information from reaching Sue and Will's ears, then I suggest you shut your mouths, give hands and never repeat this again! Am I clear?" he shouted, quite angrily.

Everyone was staring at him wide-eyed, and just nodded like deer caught in the spotlight. Blaine sighed and put the speaker down; usually, he wasn't so bossy or mean, but during the years he had figured out that this kind of behavior gave more fruit than kindness and patience. He made his way out the tent, passed everyone who was clearing the mess and didn't dare to look at him, fearing his temper, but still he could feel a pair of eyes fixed at him. He turned around and saw Santana looking at him, with a strange look in her eyes. Was it jealousy, was it melancholy? Was it both? And why? Blaine kept their eye-contact, asking her silently, but she just blinked and looked at Brittany, who was helping Marley clean a poodle of water. She made her way near the blonde girl, and Blaine stepped outside in the crisp evening air.

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**A/N contd.: Sassy!Blaine ftw! And have I told you how fun to write Santana is? I love her. Her and Quinn, and even Rachel's fun sometimes. Anyway, gotta go! Love you all 3**


	10. Chapter 10 - Don't Give Up On Me, Please

**A/N: Holla people! How are you? Anxiously waiting for 'Come What May' like me? I feel you.**

**So, what. a. chapter. I _just _finished it, so if there are any errors, please let me know :D My wonderful beta (the amazing evalilly, for anyone that has been living under a rock or hasn't been reading my notes; baaad kids) is super-great, you all know how I love her, but she is human, and therefore cannot beta a chapter in three seconds - seriously, that's how long ago I finished it. But, since I am a merciful goddess (don't smirk, evalilly, I know stuff about you ;)), and this is the most important chapter yet (whoooo... myyyystery...), I figured I cannot possibly leave you un-updated! **

**And now, time to confess my sins: I'm going on a trip this weekend (leaving on Friday, coming back Monday dawn), so there will be no update :( Maaaybe I'll post two afterwards? I dunno. All I know is that _I'LL MISS THE EPISODE! THE EPISODE!_ Just kill me now.**

**So, that is all! No, that's not all; REVIEW! Oh come on guys, review, help a girl out here, would ya? (Got the tgwtg reference? No? Meh...) Okay, okay, I'll shut it. Enjoy! (And hang in there, we're getting Come What May in a while! And the Imogene trailer is out!)**

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_**Chapter Ten – Don't Give Up On Me, Please, Remind Me Who I Really Am**_

Blaine was waiting at the clearing, a small fire pit in front of him. He had slipped a small note in Kurt's trailer, and he was just waiting for the man to appear. He purposely arranged their meeting for well after midnight, just to make sure everyone was asleep.

Suddenly, he heard a small rustle on the ground not far from where he was, and he smiled broadly when he saw Kurt's figure in the shadows.

"B. D. A.?" the boy asked, mildly confused. "I can guess that B stands for Blaine, but..." he didn't even finish his sentence, plopping instead on the ground next to Blaine and looking at him. "Yes, B does stand for Blaine, you smart, smart man" Blaine teased him, poking him with his elbow. Kurt tried to glare at him, but the action was destroyed by the giggle that escaped his mouth. "D stands for Devon, my middle name, and A stands for my last name, Anderson."

"It is funny" Kurt commented. "Not your name, heavens no!" he quickly replied to a fairly insulted Blaine. "No, I was referring to the fact that you are one of the best friends I have ever had in my life, and still, I didn't know neither your middle nor your last name. Come to think about it, I don't know anything really about you, _Blaine Devon Anderson_."

"Well, for the record, I don't know your middle name either, so I guess we stand on equal grounds" Blaine smiled. "I honestly want to know your middle name" he continued when he saw Kurt averting his gaze.

"You would laugh" the boy said in an even tone, turning his eyes away. "With you, maybe. At you, never". Kurt looked back at Blaine, who felt like he was being measured. Kurt then sighed, surrendering. "Very well. But only if you tell me something about your life in return" he warned Blaine, pointing a finger at him. "Why don't we do this in turns?" Blaine offered. "I say something personal, then you say something personal. Do we have a deal?" Kurt half-smiled and said, "Deal. Well, if you have to know..."

"Kurt..."

"Very well! My middle name is... Elizabeth."

He instantly turned to look at Blaine, who was smiling warmly. "It's a lovely name", he said. "Why would I laugh at it?"

"Because it's a female name?" Kurt asked sarcastically, underlining the word "female".

"So? You must have had your reasons to choose it, and I respect your reasons, so I respect your name. My turn now?" Kurt motioned at him to continue, his eyes fixed at the fire. "Let me see... Well, I should start from the very beginning. I never met my parents." Blaine said, a sad smile on his face. His statement was followed by silence, so he looked up at a taken aback Kurt. "I thought Will and Emma were your parents" he whispered.

"In a sense, they are. They cared for me and brought me up when my own two real parents would not" Blaine replies, a knot starting to form in his throat. "I was left at Emma's porch with a note that said_, 'Prenditi cura del mio piccolo bambino, Anderson junior'_. And that is all I know about my mother, that she left me to a stranger's hands, and that she was Italian. That is also all I know of my father, that his last name is Anderson."

Kurt asked him in a watery voice, "Did you ever find your father?"

"No!" Blaine chuckled sadly. "No, although both me and Will tried to. He was nowhere to be found. A great parental model, wouldn't you think?" he laughed bitterly. When silence was all he heard for once more, he scooted closer to Kurt, whose eyes were starting to fill with tears. "I have learned to live with it, Kurt. And although it pains me to think of them sometimes, I am happy with my life here. I wouldn't change it for anything". _Because if this wasn't my life, then maybe I wouldn't have met you_, he carried on in his mind.

Kurt dried his eyes and attempted a smile. Blaine instinctively smiled back. Kurt let out a breath and wondered, "Well, it's my turn now, isn't it? I will start at the beginning as well. I do know my parents. In fact, my father raised me until I was sixteen."

"And then?" Blaine urged him.

"And then, our county's jury sentenced me to death" Kurt completed his tale, leaving Blaine agape.

"What?"

"Exactly what you heard. Someone, a Duke apparently, accused me of treason. I did not want to die - who wants to? - so I left. They simply wanted an excuse to wipe me out, since I didn't and still don't exactly live up to the status quo." Blaine raised one eyebrow, and Kurt looked at him like a deer caught in a trap.

Blaine touched his hand lightly, squeezing it for reassurance. "If you don't want to tell me, I won't put any more pressure on you", he stated, looking straight into Kurt's eyes. Kurt shook his head, took a deep breath and insisted, "No, I will tell you. I promised you, and I feel ready to. I just want you to swear to me, swear on your life that you will never tell this to _anybody_. Do I have your word?"

Blaine nodded. "Of course. I know what it is like to hold a secret, a heavy one, for that matter. So, not only will I take your secret to my grave, but I will also tell you mine. Okay?" he asked, smiling softly.

Kurt smiled back, "Okay. Well, I… You see… Idon'tlikegirls" he whispered in one breath.

Blaine's heart was amidst two decisions: one; should it start to beat a million times per nanosecond or two; freeze in his chest. "Wh-what do you mean, Kurt?"

Kurt sighed and averted his gaze. "Girls don't _appeal_ to me. Not the way they should."

"So… Does that mean… Do _boys_ appeal to you? That way?" Blaine asked hesitantly, holding onto Kurt's hand like it was his only lifeline.

Kurt snapped his head back at him. "How…?"

Blaine smiled brightly. "I guess we have a lot more in common than we thought."

Kurt's mouth was open in a gape for longer than three seconds, so Blaine took the liberty of joking, "Close your mouth, Kurt, unless you want a fly to get in."

Kurt started laughing, and Blaine guessed it was more nerves coming out than his joke, but he joined in nonetheless. "So, carry on with your story?" Blaine nudged him, and Kurt's face clouded once more.

"Right. Well, I did not speak to anyone the day before my departure, not even my father. I simply visited my mother's grave and left her a bouquet of flowers; cyclamens, marigolds and absinth, I still remember that. I stole away during the night, stopping for a moment or two outside my father's bedroom, and then carried on. I didn't warn him; I simply whispered a 'good-bye' during the night" Kurt managed to finish, his tears falling freely now.

Without even thinking, Blaine took him in his arms and started rubbing his back soothingly. Kurt was now sobbing, clutching even tighter on Blaine's jacket. Blaine just held on, unconsciously rocking back and forward, until Kurt's sobs faded away. Blaine didn't let go even then, because his breathing was still shallow and quick.

"I am a coward, aren't I, Blaine?"

"No, no, no! Don't ever think that of yourself, ever again" Blaine rapidly answered. "Saving your life and keeping your father from experiencing the worst feeling a parent can; that's what I call bravery, Kurt, not cowardice."

Kurt started crying all over again, clearly not believing Blaine's words. Suddenly, a blackbird started singing.

"Listen, Kurt", Blaine whispered. "Listen how beautiful and yet how heart-breaking his song is. Do you know what that means?" He felt Kurt shaking his head against his chest. "It means that pain fades away eventually. Night is when fear and sorrow dwell, but come sunrise, happiness will return, and I hope that you will be able to see, eventually, through those sunken eyes of yours."

Kurt sniffed and raised his head. "See what?" He asked in a breathy voice.

"What a courageous, brave, perfect man you are" Blaine responded, ducking his head to look in the other boy's eyes. Kurt was looking at him as though he had never seen him before.

"I'm not perfect", he said in a whisper.

"You are perfect. You're perfect to me" Blaine breathed.

Kurt started leaning closer to Blaine's face, really slow, giving Blaine the chance to move away. But Blaine didn't, he never would, so Kurt carried on, still in a slow pace. Blaine's heartbeat was echoing in his ears now.

When their lips touched, his heartbeat stopped. He instinctively moved his hands to cradle Kurt's face, wet from his tears. Kurt's arms snaked around his waist, pulling him even closer. They kissed for what seemed like eternity, but could also be a few seconds; they couldn't have known, they had no sense of time. When they finally broke apart, they didn't move at all.

"You don't know for how long I've wanted to do that", Kurt sighed, resting his forehead on Blaine's.

"I'll take a wild guess and say, since the moment we met."

Kurt scrunched his nose in adorable confusion, a smile playing on his mouth. "How did you know?"

"That's for how long I have wanted to kiss you", Blaine mouthed against his lips. Kurt dove in for another kiss, deeper and more emotional this time.


	11. Preview of Chapter 11

**A/N: Guys, I'm really, really sorry, but this is just a small preview :( Sorry, but my mother's PC broke down, so until it gets fixed, we all make do with my laptop; I just got in today after 4 days! Also, there are some things - good ones - in my personal life that take up much of my time (hide that grin, evalilly), so... AND, this chapter! It just doesn't want to be written down! Anyway, here's a small preview, so please don't kill me? I don't know when I will be able to update, but till then... Courage ;)**

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It was… new.

Kurt couldn't find a better word to describe what was going on between Blaine and himself; other words he might use were thrilling, whirling, unbelievable, or dreamy. It was, truth be told, really unexpected and somehow abrupt, but Kurt couldn't find the mood to care about that. Instead, he occupied himself by tracing long lines on Blaine's chest, when they were snuggling under the stars, or in losing himself gazing into his eyes when they were lying side by side. The close proximity wasn't a problem for them, they felt natural close to each other.

He still couldn't believe that it was happening; he couldn't fathom _how_ it had happened in the first place. That first kiss had changed his world and all he wanted was more, more of this securing warmth against his lips, more of this utter feeling of _home_ he felt when Blaine hugged him. It broke him to pretend nothing had altered between them while they were among other people, but it calmed him to know that, come midnight, the night was theirs and theirs alone. They had settled in a new normality; Kurt would sneak in Blaine's tent each night, they would sleep side by side, hands intertwined and legs tangled, and dawn Kurt would wake up and hurry back to his trailer, but not before kissing Blaine's forehead.

Right now they were lying on Blaine's cot, Kurt on top of Blaine, kissing and exploring each other. They had gradually become more physical, bypassing the flared cheeks and shy eyes for the sake of the feeling of bare skin against bare skin.


End file.
